Sr. Institutional Research Analyst

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 09-23-2025

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Institutional Research, Analytics, and Planning Support (IRAPS) reports directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Budget Analysis and Planning, providing support to senior leadership and other decision makers across campus in the areas of academic and enrollment planning, policy analysis, and the evaluation of student outcomes and equity. IRAPS supports strategic planning and data-driven decision-making by providing timely, accurate, consistent, and reliable information. IRAPS's major responsibilities are for reporting, analysis and presentation of institutional data, and administration and analysis of campus surveys.

More information can be found at: https://iraps.ucsc.edu/

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Institutional Research Analyst aggregates, analyzes, and interprets student and other administrative data for regular internal and external reporting, ad hoc projects, and conducts research in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, enrollment planning, curricular capacity, student progress and success, instructional workload, institutional effectiveness and program evaluation. Using technical expertise and deep subject matter knowledge, the Senior Analyst is responsible for developing sustainable methods for delivering information across a broad range of stakeholders, and for conducting sophisticated analyses, including predictive modeling, using a variety of statistical techniques and methods in support of critical campus operations and strategic planning. The Senior Analyst will be responsible for developing new information resources (e.g., dashboards and reports), and will collaborate with other units on campus to evaluate and assess programs and initiatives, particularly related to student outcomes and equity.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $110,000 - $120,000/annually. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: None

Work Location: Remote

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: INSTITUTIONAL RSCH ANL 4 (005876)

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

60% - Reporting and Analytics

• Research, gather, analyze, and summarize data and information across a variety of domains, especially in the areas of enrollments, student success, equity outcomes, and instructional activity.
• Develop and revise queries and reports using campus business intelligence tools (i.e., InfoView, Tableau, SPSS, Excel, and others) to meet information needs and to address ongoing and ad hoc reporting requirements, using agreed-upon standard definitions and methodologies.
• Design interactive dashboards and infographics for both external and internal audiences that are responsive to the information needs of campus leadership and other campus stakeholders.
• Produce historical campus-level and program-specific reports on a quarterly or annual production schedule; maintain information on the unit's website; and provide data and information for public information requests, external surveys, and for mandatory compliance reporting.
• Work collaboratively and in consultation with other campus units to design and implement evaluations of policies, programs, and initiatives using appropriate research methods and statistical techniques.
• Perform data analysis and predictive modeling using a variety of statistical techniques for admissions forecasting, enrollment projections, and predicting curricular demand and graduation outcomes.

25% - Strategic Planning and Decision Support

• Provide ad hoc reporting and analytic support to principal officers, academic senate committees, and other decision-making bodies.
• Gather, analyze, and present data and information in support of key strategic planning initiatives, including identifying sources and appropriate comparative and benchmarking data.
• Develop dashboards for academic planning that display key metrics for campus leadership and other stakeholders.
• Produce written and oral reports and presentations with conclusions, implications, and recommendations.

10% - Data Management

• Working closely with the Data Management unit, participate in the development of institutional databases by identifying data needs, requirements, specifications and sources.
• Transform, test, and deploy raw data from campus data warehouse using one or more industry standard program languages (e.g., SQL), to construct, clean, and standardize data sets for use.
• Maintain data documentation and definitions.
• Identify, investigate, and work to resolve data quality issues to ensure accurate reporting of information.
• Assure the validity and quality of campus data submissions to external agencies and systems, including the UC Office of the President.

5% - Professional Development and Service

• Pursue opportunities to enhance expertise in areas of data science, institutional research, and higher education to keep skills current.
• Develop expertise in external and public data sources (e.g., IPEDS, NSC, AAUDE) related to higher education.
• Serve on campus-wide committees and workgroups as appropriate; interact with peers across the UC system and at the UC Office of the President.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in education research, social sciences, data science, statistics, or related field with a strong focus on quantitative research methods and data analysis, or equivalent experience and/or training.
• Experience with predictive modeling using machine learning techniques to create classification and other statistical models.
• Demonstrated proficiency with data management computer applications, query tools, and relational databases, in order to extract data from existing systems, join large datasets, manipulate data (e.g., import data, transform and derive variables), and aggregate data using SQL, R, Python or other coding languages to create datasets that facilitate robust reporting and analysis.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, Stata, or R, or equivalent, to produce tables and graphs, using syntax or command language to manage and transform data, produce tables and graphs, and to analyze data using a variety of statistical techniques including multivariate analysis.
• Thorough knowledge of data visualization and dashboarding techniques and principles, and demonstrated proficiency using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Looker.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including tact, diplomacy, and flexibility to work effectively with staff, faculty, students, and the general public.
• Advanced oral communication skills with the ability to present complex findings and recommendations in a clear and concise manner.
• Advanced presentation skills with the ability to present to large groups and through visual displays of quantitative information.
• Advanced written communication skills, including the ability to write clear and concise reports on complex issues.
• Strong organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage multiple activities, meet deadlines to complete a variety of assignments with attention to detail, a high degree of accuracy and to maintain accurate and detailed records.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team toward common goals, and to coordinate efforts and collaborate with a variety of individuals.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in education research, social sciences, data science, statistics, or related field with a strong focus on quantitative research methods and data analysis.
• Knowledge of data modeling concepts, including complex data and structures.
• Familiarity with cloud-based data warehousing.
• Familiarity with issues in higher education and with UC policies, practices and procedures.
• Familiarity with educational literature on student retention and progress.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
• This position requires the ability to report to campus to work in-person as operationally required, with reasonable notice as determined by your manager; travel expenses not covered.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.